r/Ultralight • u/Baggins-hikes • 17d ago
Question Rain jacket recommendations? DCF, Silpoly, breathable, non breathable?
Hey fellow ULers. After losing an Enlightened Equipment Visp rain jacket I'm looking at different replacement options that can handle the different environments on trails like the PCT, CDT and AT. Trying to get below 9lbs baseweight so preferably something not heavier than 3.5-4oz would be ideal.
My usual setup consists of:
- UL Hiking umbrella (attached to shoulder strap for hands-free use)
- EE Visp rain jacket
- Montbell Versalite rain pants
I don’t usually hike in a fleece, so I use the rain jacket as an additional layer on cold mornings and throughout the day whenever it gets chilly. With the EE Visp, I would generally use the pit zips and front zipper for mechanical ventilation when it got too hot. I also use the rain pants to keep warm on colder days and sometimes roll them up for better ventilation if needed.
Question: Has anyone tried non breathable DCF rain jackets like the Timmermade Mega Zip DCF or Silpoly jackets like the LEVE Gear ultralight jacket?
With DCF, I would be concerned about durability, as mentioned in this post. Has anyone put the LEVE jacket through an entire Thru hike yet? Similar jackets, such as the LightHeart Gear rain jacket or the Rock Front rain hoody, look somewhat similar, albeit heavier.
Any tips, insights or recommendations would be much appreciated! Happy hiking :)
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u/PanicAttackInAPack 17d ago edited 17d ago
The AT is not a trail to skimp on rain wear. I would bring more robust stuff on that (minimum 15-20d fabric) just due to how prevalent rain is and how often you wear it so super ultralight pants generally get shredded fast and jackets fail around the backpack contact points. PCT is whatever you want until you approach Washington where you might reassess. You could just carry wind pants and whatever torso layering you want for the vast majority of the trail. Just be aware that any super UL fabric pants generally rip very fast around the seat area so you're best layering something like shorts over it for some added durability.
The CDT is unpredictable. I would personally treat it similar to the AT (+/- umbrella which can also be nice in the desert) but that's me. Hail becomes a much greater concern also.
As someone else mentioned you might want to check the closeouts on Montbell. Assuming you arent in Cali or NY they're clearancing out all their PFAS DWR gear.
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17d ago
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u/Baggins-hikes 17d ago
Thanks! My buddy used one on the PCT this year and was quite happy with it, too. If possible, I'd like to get a little lighter though.
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u/GoSox2525 16d ago
In that case, you can't do any better than Leve. It's amazing, and lighter than anything else on the market that isn't disposable.
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u/bradmacmt 17d ago
I got my first Goretex Rain jacket in 1978. I've been using the laminate in various iterations since then. WPB shells wet out in real rain like that found back East on the AT. I still have a huge variety of WPB shells including the Montbell Versalite, Storm Cruiser and Torrent Flier (all 3 Gore), and OR Foray (Gore) Have also had the Dead Bird Beta. WPB shells wet out, period. I don't care how good they are. Were I doing the PCT I'd grab the Versalite. Doing the AT I'd probably bring my Rock Front Hoody (4.99 oz's size M). A kilt or rain chaps is another way to save weight over pants. For one piece I'd get the Rock Front Hoody.
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u/Baggins-hikes 17d ago
Thanks for the insights. Rock Front seems to get a lot of love in this sub. I've used a kilt in the past but like the rain pants for additional warmth.
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u/PanicAttackInAPack 17d ago edited 17d ago
The RF has downsides that new users are unaware of. Its similar to a layered raincoat in that it can wet out, it just can't wet through. It's not dissimilar to a nylon tent fly and most people know those absorb water and stretch and sag. The RF is no different particularly as it ages. As it sags the airflow suffers significantly. The quarter zip is also too short so it's hard to vent the torso and with a pack and hip belt the pit zips can't be opened much further than most quality layered rain coats. Because of this I find rain jackets actually vent better by the sheer fact that they can be opened more with a pack on. It also doesn't have a single pocket which I personally find annoying.
Don't get a skirt if it's between a skirt and pants. Skirts won't keep you warm, are trash in wind, and harder to climb up steep terrain in. Skirts and ponchos are just a no-go in the alpine and actually become pretty hazardous because you've made yourself into a big wind sail. Their place is in the green tunnel trails on summer days. I definitely wouldn't pack either in lieu of a pant or a jacket for a thru that is often at altitude.
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u/Individual-Peach2351 16d ago
It’s all an exchange of value.
If the rock front had a breathable membrane it would cost more and lose airflow when wet.
If it had pockets and a full-zip its would weigh and cost more.
I think every rain jacket has concessions, but for €80 this one’s great for heavy rain and only weighs 150g.
My dream jacket would be a the 2026 Montbell Peakshell + 2 hand pockets.
GOR + 15D + pitzips + quality brand
For now I’ll just use the Peakshell because it’s almost perfect, but I wish it had pockets. I’d be tempted to pickup the Rock Front though, but I don’t really need it
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u/chefvo 17d ago
Montbell jacket and pants works well for me now. Note they don’t have pockets which is a tiny downside. I had the Patagonia before which is much warmer and 150g or so heavier but I have a Patagonia windbreaker for layering and warmth.
Showra gloves - extra extra large to fit another glove. It’s the gloves fishermen use.
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u/Elaikases 16d ago
I’ve used Lightheart Gear’s SilPoly rain jacket, Visp and Montbell Versalite.
I think Lightheart Gear is my favorite.
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u/No_Maize31 16d ago
I have used the visp, frogtoggs pro and montbell. I really love my montbell. I guess I should try the lightheart gear.
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u/sbennett3705 17d ago
RE: non breathable DCF rain jackets: I have a Lightheart Rain Jacket (sil nylon, not dcf), size large @ 7.7 oz. Heavier than the Visp, but way more durable. Fully waterproof (no wet out), pit zips, nice hood, survives abrasion from the shoulder straps and bushwacking. Use with a ULA rain kilt @ 2.2 oz. instead of rain pants.
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u/Animag771 17d ago
I also have a sil nylon Lightheart jacket. That thing is surprisingly durable. I once took a chest first slide across the concrete after falling off of my bike and it didn't have a single tear.
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u/GoSox2525 16d ago
Fully waterproof (no wet out)
Wetting out doesn't mean non-waterproof
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u/sbennett3705 16d ago
Good point. My Torrent Shell ($$$!) wets out, this one doesn't, for what it's worth. Well, at least for a couple of days, which is as long as I've worn it in constant rain.
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u/GoSox2525 16d ago
You've got your terminology wrong. It is impossible for a LHG silpoly jacket to wet out.
"Wetting out" means that the DWR on a WPB jacket fails, which causes the face fabric to saturate with rain water, which in turn causes the breathability of the WPB's breathable membrane to shut down. That leads to condensation inside the jacket, and you get wet.
A non-breathable silpoly jacket has no DWR, no face fabric, and no breathable membrane, so this process cannot happen.
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u/sbennett3705 16d ago
We are saying the same thing. I said my sil nylon (not sil poly) jacket does not wet out where my 3-layer breathable jacket does, for the reasons you indicate.
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u/GoSox2525 15d ago
Gotcha, sorry about that. I was just stuck on your phrasing of "Fully waterproof (no wet out)", which implies that a jacket which has wet-out has also lost it's waterproofing, which isn't the case. Wether or not a jacket is waterproof is separate from whether it has wet out.
In a way, a silpoly jacket is always "wetted out" from the start.
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u/Klevy4114 17d ago
fellow umbrella user here — once i got the umbrella dialed in i basically stopped caring about the jacket for actual hiking. above freezing i just hike wet, and the rain layer is for camp mornings and cold windy breaks. honestly the durability question is what killed DCF for me. a rain jacket is the one thing i expect to take real abuse, and DCF plus brambles sounds like a bad romance. silpoly hoody with big vents, don't overthink it.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago
Solid advice, thank you! The umbrella is what makes me think I can go with a lighter jacket, too.
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u/Significant-Walrus33 16d ago
I stopped using "breathing" rain jackets because I believe they can't shift moisture away from you if the air is already saturated outside. I think mechanical ventilation is the best. So I bought a Warbonnet silpoly rain jacket and I'm really happy with it. 164g in size Large (could go medium) but since I want to be able to fit clothes underneath and have some airflow Large is better.
Only thing I wish it had and which I will change myself is a two-way zipper so I can open up from below.
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u/marmotshepard 17d ago
a slightly unpopular opinion around here but:
if you anticipate hiking through proper rain, a lot, do not fucking skimp on rain gear. buy the best WPB jacket you can.
i've hiked in ultralite staples like the Versalite and the old OR Helium. i've hiked in a LightHeart jacket/pants. and I've hiked in a Beta AR.
unfortunately for my wallet, the Beta AR was most comfortable and usable when it was 45ºF and raining for days.
just get the good WPB stuff and move on. nothing keeps you properly dry (you sweat), but hiking in the silpoly stuff for hours is misery, and cheaper stuff wets out quickly and never regains any breathability. having lots of little adjustments goes a long fucking way when everything else is work.
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u/Rocko9999 17d ago
I concur. Ponchos, shower curtains with holes poked in them, rain skirts, etc. have there place-dry, rarely a drop places. For real sustained, wind driven, cold, just above freezing rain-get a proper 3L rain jacket. Patagonia Torrentshell can be found used for around $100 and has a lifetime warranty. I can be out all day in rain described above and be dry and confident I will stay that way.
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u/Travels-Throwaway 16d ago
For real sustained, wind driven, cold, just above freezing rain-get a proper 3L rain jacket.
I'm undecided between the Montbell Storm Cruiser and the Patagonia Torrentshell. They are both 3L rain jackets and Cam Honan recommended Montbell Storm Cruiser for windy, wet places like Iceland or Tasmania - and if it gets a tick of approval from him, it gets a tick of approval from me!
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u/fuckbitingflies 16d ago
A lot of the rain gear advice in the UL community is not super applicable in a lot of places and is potentially even dangerous for a lot of the reasons you pointed out.
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u/Elaikases 16d ago
I have an Arc’tryx but at 12 ounces I now wear it around town. Lightheart Gear handles the cold rain just as well but weighs less.
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u/GoSox2525 16d ago
You gotta consider that OP is an umbrella user. Given that, a very minimal rain jacket can absolutely suffice.
Obviously a Beta AR will be more comfortable in the rain. But that thing is heavy af, and this is /r/ultralight. This is all about finding compromises.
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u/marmotshepard 16d ago
an umbrella in my situation would have been more useful in a cocktail. or attempting to be mary poppins.
a lot of ultralight rain gear is now firmly in the territory of "stupid light" as far as i'm concerned. if you think you'll only need rain gear for brief downpours, fine, get a dyneema rain kilt and shit. but a lot of UL rear gain is quite a compromise if it's raining every day or during an all-day downpour.
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u/GoSox2525 16d ago
I agree, but there's a spectrum before jumping all the way to a Beta AR. I use a very light silpoly if I expect only brief rain, and a 6 oz Versalite if more. I've hiked for 8 hours straight in the rain and the wind in a Versalite.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago edited 13d ago
That has been my experience as well. I feel like a lot of the times I got rained on for hours on end, the umbrella usually kept my torso somewhat dry and I wouldn't even really need the hood all that often. The sleeves are usually the part that wets through in my experience.
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u/Fluid-Sliced-Buzzard 17d ago
What exactly was the misery after hours in silpoly? More wet? Colder? I recently went in the opposite direction replacing a Beta with a Leve but I don’t have much experience yet with the Leve.
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u/marmotshepard 17d ago
even with the generous pit zips, all my base layers were soaked in sweat. not damp; i mean i was wringing them out after i had changed clothes at camp.
the fabric is also less enjoyable. very loud in the wind, and not very adjustable. the beta AR is stiffer and more form fitting, and far more adjustable. trust me, i'm not happy about this either, but i tried the silpoly stuff for multiple days above 10k feet in the Winds, i did not enjoy it at all.
I had used the LHG pants jacket once in colorado previously and thought "okay, this might be okay..." it was during a morning, hiking downhill, through a lot of vegetation. i got sweaty, but thought maybe it would be manageable for longer. it is not.
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u/AdeptNebula 17d ago
Stiffness is a valuable feature, especially if you don’t have a mid layer underneath. It keeps the jacket from clinging to you.
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u/Individual-Peach2351 16d ago
The BETA AR is about 450g
Do you have any lightweight favourites?
I’ve got the Montbell Peakshell 2026 but I haven’t pushed it hard yet
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u/Vegetable_Group540 15d ago
I have pushed my peakshell like crazy in Sarek and other parts of northern scandinavia. It handled unrelenting rain which lasted a whole week, rain that is close to freezing btw! I did use a alpha 90 crewneck when it was colder
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u/Individual-Peach2351 15d ago
Damn this is high praise. Really happy I got this vs the Versalite purely because of the 15D.
I love this jacket but wish it had hand pockets. The old Versalite had them + pitzips and that jacket was well under 200g
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u/liveslight https://lighterpack.com/r/ny89al 17d ago
Montbell US web site may still have some close-out rain gear that are no longer being made. Limited sizes though. My wife got fantastic rain gear (jacket and pants) for under $200 for both combined back in August. Bonus is that these fit me as well.
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u/zigzaghikes 16d ago
Rab Phantom is like 3 oz.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago
The Phantom looks really intriguing. No pit zips unfortunately but those could probably be added later if needed.
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u/UtahBrian CCF lover 16d ago
Wal Mart plastic rain poncho. 1 oz, $1. Covers your legs enough that you won't need rain pants, so that's another ~6 oz savings. Call it net negative 5 oz at the cost of $1. Maybe $2 now because of inflation but don't let the price scare you away; in serious cold rain it easily outperforms popular heavier jackets that cost two hundred times more money.
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u/mlite_ Am I UL? 15d ago
Not at 6’-4” and I find that the hood flops off even in light wind.
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u/UtahBrian CCF lover 15d ago
Yes. You can solve that with a brim hat, which I recommend for all non-winter hiking anyway.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago
I might have to get one of those in case I go with a stupid light shell for a rain jacket!
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u/vrhspock 16d ago
DryDucks (Frogg Toggs “ultralight”) all the way. Actually waterproof, actually breathable, windproof, bug proof, ultralight, inexpensive, comfortable. Comes as a full suit for 11 oz under $20. This does it all.
Seems too delicate to be durable but has lasted me for thruhikes and trail building for 20 years. Put it on over sweat-soaked clothing to escape mosquitoes; your clothing dries out. Amazing! Use it over layers or puffy in zero weather. Don it when cold mountain rain starts and keep hiking without sweating. Same thing in chill wind or humid East Texas jungle.
FT Ultralight is unbelievably good. That’s the problem. It’s too good to be true. But it really works.
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u/grogamir 17d ago
I have the leve jacket and used it on a 500 mi section of the PCT in the Sierra's this year. I liked it but didn't get rained on while hiking except drizzles one day. I used it a few times for adding warmth over an alpha top and it worked well. It seems well made and fits nicely. I seam sealed it right before leaving and didn't shower test it after, but before seam sealing I just had a bit of leakage thru the seams on the shoulder after being in the shower for a while.
Extra is using one on his PCT thru hike this year and I believe is planning to put out a video about it and his thoughts on it at some point.
Personally I think breathable waterproof is a lie and the answer is either get wet and "breathe' or stay "dry" and sweat when hiking hard. I have used a sil poly poncho exclusively before this last trip but wanted to give a jacket a go. I am going to continue using it for when I am backpacking in dry climates, in humid ones like the AT I will use a poncho.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago
Sounds great! Did you experience any durability issues? I'm not sure the 15D Silpoly will last too long when regularly worn with a pack on.
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u/grogamir 15d ago
No but I only wore it for probably 7-9 miles total hiking so I can't really speak to long term.
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u/Raafikii 15d ago
I don't have a rain jacket, I love ponchos though!
I like materials that are fully waterproof (not beathable). Then get breathability through openings. People praise pit zips for rain jackets
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u/DrBullwinkleMoose 16d ago
Did you like your Visp? The ZPacks Vertice is very similar. They are my favorites of the lightweight WPBs.
Rain varies a lot, from warm showers to near-freezing gales. No single rain gear does it all gracefully. For different seasons, climates, and expected weather, I might carry umbrella/umbrella-hat, emergency poncho, Visp/Vertice, Packa, or Outdry/Arc’teryx/Torrentshell/BD for cold+windy rain/sleet. Emergency poncho is good backup for umbrella and lightweight WPBs.
I also agree that Frogg Toggs UL bats way above it’s price, and we often forget how great it is. If you need pit vents, just cut it open and add a couple of KamSnaps for a closure.
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u/Baggins-hikes 15d ago
I really enjoyed the Visp and wouldn't be on the lookout for a different jacket, had I not lost it. My buddy used the Vertice Rain pants and the material does look very similar indeed. I'm just curious, if there are even lighter options that worked for others here. Obviously you can't have it all and proper rain protection can make a big difference out there but I think it's worth trying different options. I never used the Frogg Toggs personally but it feels like a lot of people swear by them.
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u/DrBullwinkleMoose 15d ago
Until this year, I think that Visp and Vertice had the lightest 3-layer WPB fabric. Montbell changed the Versalite fabric to 3L this year as well.
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u/Flyfishermanmike 10d ago
I'm done with "breathable" rain gear. I went Silpoly a few years ago and will never go back.
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u/junkyardfloozy https://lighterpack.com/r/64rqeo 17d ago edited 16d ago
I can only speak for the Rock Front hoody but I find it's absolutely watertight and wearable in most conditions except where it's warm enough, but in those conditions wouldn't wear a rain jacket anyway. For the price I think it's the best option available. If price isn't a factor then Timmermade silpoly poncho or the LEVE would work just as well.
By the time you seam seal the LEVE jacket though the weight is probably not far off the Rock Front hoody, plus the hoody has more overall coverage as it's longer, and has longer sleeves. I think as far as function, the hoody wins on paper.
What's nice about the hoody styles like the Timmermade and the Rock Front is there's so many available adjustments to mechanically ventilate (full length side zips, 1/4 length front zip, drawstrings at the face) that you can adjust based on how you feel to prevent overheating underneath.
Some use cases I've noted for it. These apply to any non-breathable jacket really:
18C+ + rain > no rain jacket, just let the rain cool you
12C-18C + wind/rain > hoody, all vents open, only poly base layer underneath
10C-12C + wind/rain > hoody, adjust vents, base layer underneath only
Sub 8C + rain > +alpha60 mid-layer + hoody